Is the govt afraid of the Lopezes?
IWAS in Cananga, Leyte over the weekend to find out the real story about the landslide in the area killing seven workers of the Lopezowned Energy Development Corp. geothermal power plant.
According to the residents in the area, the continuous heavy downpour softened the soil where one of the pipes was laid.
The said pipe broke releasing hot steam that burnt some of the workers to death while the rest were buried alive over tons of mud and soil, according to the people living near the power plant.
But one employee of the Department of Environment in Leyte, who begged not to be identified for fear of termination from work, said that the owner and officers of EDC have been informed by DENR since 2006 that the power plant is sitting on a geohazard area.
The report, coming directly from the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau, said that Cananga’s soil is soft and therefore unstable which may result to a landslide during heavy rains.
The said geohazard report was just shunned by EDC as both the DENR and the Department of Energy have given the geothermal power plant a permit to operate to this date despite the deadly condition of the area.
Cananga residents are wondering what will it still take before the government decides to shut down the power plant in the area?
God forbid, but another tragedy in the area will not shut down the operation of EDC because both DENR Sec. Ramon Paje and Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla have not lifted a finger to investigate the EDC Geothermal tragedy at this point or at least temporarily shut it down pending an investigation.
Both officials are mum on the issue but the people below them told News 5 off cam that the power plant will never be closed since it supplies electricity to the Negros and Davao regions.
One source puts it, the main reason why the said geothermal power plant will never be closed is because it is owned by the Lopezes.
This family who owns a big TV network, who according to the grapevine, is an avid supporter of PNoy.
Does this mean that only fools will dare touch the companies of the Lopezes? Just asking.